After offering a critical analysis of Moloney’s synthetical parallelism for John 2–4, this article argues for a chiastic structure of the Cana-to-Cana cycle which directs the reader from the visible signs (2,1-12+4,43-54) and physical properties of religion (2,13-22+4,1-42) to Jesus as the metaphysical agent of
God’s salvation and judgment (3,1-21+3,22-36). The new 'dematerialized' faith thereby subverts expectations of material restoration and reorients the believing eye not towards a sanctuary but towards the Son.

â€œDematerializingâ€ Religion: Reading John 2â€“4 as a Chiasm 533
a) The Beginning of the Narrative Unit: The Wedding in Cana
(a) The first miracle in Cana (2,1-12) is sometimes viewed as the
conclusion of the previous testimonies and callings of disciples
(1,19-51) (28). Jesusâ€™ promise to Nathanael, that he would see â€œgreater
thingsâ€ (meivzw touvtwn, 1,50) is thus seen as fulfilled in the miracle at
the wedding. As a more â€œprivate miracleâ€, it confirms the disciplesâ€™
earlier responses of faith (1,38-39.45.50; 2,11) before the public
ministry begins with the temple cleansing (29). More specifically,
since Origen the reference to the â€œthird dayâ€ in 2,1, when connected
with the â€œ(next) dayâ€ mentioned in 1,29.35.43, is quite often
computed into a six-day week at least, if not even a seven-or eight-
day week:
SIX DAYS(30) SEVEN DAYS(31) EIGHT DAYS(32)
DAY
1 1,19-28
2 1,29-34 Same as befor Same as before
3 1,35-42
4 1,43-51 1,40-42 1,40-42
5 1,43-51 1,43-51
6 2,1-11
7 2,1-11
8 2,1-11
The seven- and eight-day schemes understand the expression th;n
hJmevran ejkeivnhn in 1,39 as a signal for the close of the third day
before the fourth day begins in 1,40. In addition, the seven-day
scheme counts the â€œthird dayâ€ in 2,11 from day no. five, but
including it (33), while the eight-day scheme excludes it. The six-day
scheme followed by the Passover in 2,13 is then understood as an
(28) C.F. KEIL, Commentar Ã¼ber das Evangelium des Johannes (Leipzig 1881)
36; WESTCOTT, The Gospel, I, lxxxviii; F.F. BRUCE, The Gospel of John (Grand
Rapids, MI 1983) 24.
(29) BARRETT, The Gospel, 189.
(30) So J. FREY, Die johanneische Eschatologie (WUNT 116; TÃ¼bingen 1998)
II, 192-196 â€” where he refers also to Origen (Ioh., VI, 258-259), Bengel,
Luthardt, Barrett, Olsson.
(31) So already C.E. LUTHARDT, Das johanneische Evangelium nach seiner
EigenthÃ¼mlichkeit (NÃ¼rnberg 1852) 76-78; M.-E. BOISMARD, Du BaptÃªme Ã Cana
(Jean, 1,19-2,11) (LD 18; Paris 1956); T. BARROSSE, â€œThe Seven Days of the New
Creation in St. Johnâ€™s Gospelâ€, CBQ 21 (1959) 507-516, and others.
(32) See B. LINDARS, The Gospel of John (NCB; London 1972) 128.
(33) BRUCE (The Gospel of John, 68) notes that â€œwe should say â€˜two days laterâ€™
(Moffatt)â€.